Christmas 2004: Just Christmas
by ajremix
Summary: M is for the Meaning you celebrate this year. There's a difference between people you work with and people you're friends with.


Just Christmas  
Full Metal Alchemist

"One, two, THREE!"

"Goddammit!"

The other three laughed (or quietly chuckled) as Breda smacked himself in the face in defeat.

" 'Oh, no, Lt. Hawkeye! It wouldn't be fair for you to just volunteer for New Years duty, let's do rock, paper, scissors'!" Havoc mocked, slapping the man's shoulder. "You should've just shut up and let her do it!"

Breda grumbled something unpleasant about Havoc's mother and what he and his bits could do with an electric blender. Farman chuckled and Hawkeye shook her head, marking Breda's name on the duty roster.

"We also have to fill in for the next day's duty." She said.

"I'll take it." Farman offered. "I'll be taking leave the week after, anyway. So I don't mind."

"And Fury has duty tomorrow, so he'll be put on port side." Hawkeye jotted down on her notebook. "The colonel already requested starboard side so he could get the day off on Friday. I'll also take starboard. That leaves Lt. Havoc in charge of port side."

Looking over her shoulder, Havoc asked, "So asides from Fury, who else do I get?"

"Farman. Breda will work the days with me and the colonel." She raised an eyebrow as Havoc and Breda groaned. "Remember the trouble you two got into last year when no one was around to monitor you? Do I have to bring out the counseling sheets again?"

They shook their heads. "Okay, okay, we got it."

"I'm just glad the colonel has a sense of humor." Breda mumbled.

"Even if General Hakuro doesn't." Havoc added. "I thought everyone liked a good crank call."

"It's to be expected." Farman offered. "It always gets slow around the Christmas time and boredom rarely leads to good things with you two."

"Bah. Maybe I can get Fury to bring in his new computer. I wanna see this bad puppy he keeps bragging about." Havoc grinned, slapping his hands together in anticipation.

"Aw!" The red head whined. "What am /I/ gonna do if I get bored?"

"Ask the colonel to bring in a couple girls?" Farman quipped.

Havoc's grinned failed. "Hey…."

Hawkeye waved off the conversation with a hand, not even bothering to hide her humored smile. "I'm sure there'll be something to keep you occupied, don't worry." She looked at her notes again. "Oh, yes. The Elric brothers are expected to come back sometime this week. In case it's on a port day, they'll report in to you, Lt. Havoc."

He offered her a half salute and grin. "No problems."

"Colonel Mustang has something he wants you to tell them in case that happens."

Havoc looked thoughtful. "Is this a bad thing?"

It was, indeed, a port day when the brothers came in. Farman, who was watching Fury tinkering with his computer, pointed them to the colonel's office. Ed shrugged and barged in as brashly as he always did. He barely even hesitated when he saw who sat at the desk.

"You're looking rather comfortable there, lieutenant."

Havoc looked up from the report he was filing and motioned them out of the doorway. "Ed. Right on time."

Ed cocked his head to the side. "On time for what?"

"The colonel was expecting you to come in this week."

Bored- and slightly curious as to the change in routine –Ed flopped on the colonel's couch. "Apparently it doesn't matter too much to him if he's not here."

"Lt. Hawkeye and Lt. Breda aren't here, either." Al pointed out.

"That's because they're all on starboard."

The bothers looked confused. " 'Starboard'?"

Havoc put his chin in hand. "Port and starboard. Right and left. Means half the shop works every other day. The other half works the other days."

Ed grinned. "So you're in charge today, huh? My lucky day." He carelessly walked over to the desk and flipped his report in front of Havoc. "Give that to the shit-colonel for me, would you?"

He looked at the paper thoughtfully, turned it over once or twice and read the first and last few paragraphs. Ed's cheek muscles twitched at the disapproving note in the back of Havoc's throat. "What?" The boy growled. He had enough of being picked apart by that dammed colonel, he didn't need to take it from some smart-mouth lieutenant, either.

"Is this report long enough," asked Havoc, flipping it over again, "to include the incident in Tsurm?"

Al eeped and Ed colored. "How do /you/ know about that?"

Havoc grinned. "Colonel Mustang may have all the contacts, but even he can't handle all of them at once."

Resisting the urge to make an obscene gesture, Ed snarled. "Just give me whatever thing that bastard left for me." He demanded.

Havoc pulled a face but searched in a drawer. "Right, right. Here you go." He slapped his hand on the desk and pulled away, leaving nothing. For a moment, Ed and Al just stared at the empty space.

"There's nothing there." Ed eventually said.

"That's right."

He glared. "Well why not?"

"Because the only thing the colonel left for me to give you is this message." Havoc cleared his throat and spoke from a well rehearsed memory. " 'Full Metal- welcome back. I trust your mission went well'."

Ed frowned. "It's in the report."

" 'I'll speak to you on your report at a later time'." Ed bristled. " 'I have not left a new mission for you, neither have I left any information to help you on your search. It is the Christmas season, therefore I want you and your brother to take some time off'."

"WHAT!?" Ed exploded. "He can't force us to-"

"Hey," Havoc interrupted, "would you let me finish? He grilled me for an entire day to make sure I memorized this down to the tone." He cleared his throat again and continued. " 'If you do not return to Rizenbol this week, then I request you and your brother's services this Friday at my quarters at 1800 hours. If you attempt to do something other than go to Rizenbol or join me, I will know. And you will not be happy. Until a later date, Full Metal'." Havoc wove his fingers together and smirked. "Well?" He asked the brothers.

Ed narrowed his gold eyes. "Just because I get some sort of threat doesn't mean I'm intimidated."

Havoc put his chin on his entwined fingers and just grinned. "Try to get something passed the colonel. I'd like to see what happens."

Al had to drag his brother out of the office before fists started flying. Apparently merely sitting at the desk granted someone Mustang's miracle annoy-the-piss-out-of-Ed power.

Ed wanted to make this a note to everyone and anyone who even bothered to notice: He was NOT going to the shit-colonel's house because he wanted to. He was going merely because he had nothing better to do. And because he felt bad enough about keeping Al from going to Rizenbol (Al wouldn't go because Ed wouldn't, and Ed wouldn't because it was still too painful during Christmas), he didn't want to keep Al locked up in the military's barracks during Christmas.

So, growling, he knocked on the door. So deep in his funk about seeing the colonel that he didn't notice all the lights on. Or all the shadows moving beyond the curtains on the many windows.

In fact, he didn't even noticed who answered the door until he heard, "Hey, it's the Elric brothers!" Havoc turned into the house. "Now we can get this party started!" There was a wavering chorus of cheers from inside.

The brother ogled. "Lt. Havoc? What are you doing here?"

"No, no, no." He waved a hand at them, which held a strong smelling drink. "It's Jean. Haven't you ever been to a Christmas party before?"

"A party?"

"Yay!" A little voice squeaked. "Big, big brother is here!" Unlatching herself from Jean's leg was Elicia, who promptly became attached to Al's leg. "Dance! Dance!"

Jean chuckled. "Aw, you took my dance partner away from me."

Al panicked. "But- But- I don't know how to dance!"

"Just sort of walk around and spin every once in a while. She seems to like that."

"You know, you two /can/ come inside." Someone else said around Jean's shoulder. "Don't mind the people with no manners." The brothers looked at Hawk- Riza –in surprise. She smiled warmly at the two and gave them both kisses on the cheeks. "Mistletoe." She said. The three males looked up at the foliage pinned to the door.

"Aw." Jean pouted. "I don't get a kiss."

Riza gave him a wicked grin. "Maybe if you get me a drink." He flashed a promising grin right back before moving off. Riza, meanwhile, hustled the brothers inside. "Here, come in, make yourselves at home."

"Lieutenant, what's going-"

She cut Ed off quickly. "No titles, Ed. It's a Christmas party."

Ed blinked. "Huh?"

"It's Riza tonight." She explained. "Of course you know Jean, there's Kain and Otto over there, Louis, Herman, Maes- his wife Gracia, you know –and Roy." Riza said, pointing each out in turn.

Ed's eyes were large. "All? But, isn't it- I mean-"

"No military tonight, Ed. Tonight, we're all friends here. No titles, no work, no worries." She put a glass into Ed's hand. "Enjoy yourself." Patting him on the shoulder, Riza moved off purloin some more snacks from the table.

Disoriented- and somehow losing Al who 'danced' away with Elicia –Ed found himself eventually coming across Roy.

"Are you enjoying yourself, Edward?" The older man asked. Gone from his tone was the controlled purr of the office. Now it was content and simple and warm. Ed didn't think it was possible.

"I guess." He said eventually. "It's just a bit…. odd, is all."

"Surprising?"

"Yeah."

Roy shook his head, swirling his amber drink absentmindedly. "It's Christmas, Edward. Time to take a break and just relax and enjoy that we're all here and that we're all friends. Forget about work, forget about titles, whatever happened before stays outside. Whatever happens here, stays only in tonight."

Ed's forehead puckered in thought. "So, what? You'll only be civil with me tonight?"

The other man was genuinely startled. "Have I ever been uncivil toward you or your brother?"

"You annoy the hell out of me. Is that the same thing?"

Roy's face relaxed into a smirk. "Nope, I'm afraid not. And I will continue to annoy you until it ceases to be amusing."

"God, I hate you." But Ed smirked and took his first drink from his glass. And tried to hold back his coughs behind a series of humorous faces. Roy bursting out laughing didn't help matters at all.

"I think," he said between chuckles, "you're a bit too new for a screwdriver." He plucked the glass from Ed's unresisting hands. "Come on. I'll start you off with something hopefully smoother for your tastes."

It took a moment for the blonde to realize that there were no hidden meanings in Roy's words and that he wasn't somehow insulted. Going to the table he was given a cup of eggnog- smooth going down and pleasant in his stomach. Others had eggnog in their hands, and others yet had stronger stuff in their glasses. Everyone chatted and smiled and it really /did/ seem like just a bunch of friends together for the holidays and not just people that worked together.

And then it hit Ed that they /were/ all friends. Even Louis, who most people shied away from during working hours, was taking Elicia from a spin around the room, pink sparkles around them both. A twinge of empty and lonely began to fester inside of Ed and he realized that he /wanted/ to be a part of this. Badly. He did actually enjoy the company of Roy's entourage, and he liked the time he spent at Maes' house. But he never actually felt a part of anything because he was never there, and he never tried.

But he saw as the guys lead Al into a Christmas carol, and Gracia laughing brightly and Kain picking up Hayate and leading him in a dance around the room and Ed realized that /this/ was what he wanted. He wanted to belong somewhere with people that accepted him. And accepted his brother. Flesh or not, they both still need to be wanted by others.

"So," a voice asked from behind, "are you enjoying yourself now?"

Ed didn't have to turn to know it was Roy. But he didn't turn because something else caught his eye. "Why is Major Arm-"

"Ahem."

"Er, Louis?"

"Louis."

"Yeah, why is he in a Santa costume?"

"Well, about this time, he and Maes goes around to all the barracks. Drops off some food for those that are on duty tonight."

This time Ed turned to Roy. "But why in a Santa costume?"

"That way, those on duty don't realize who he is until he's already shoving food in their hands. You don't salute Santa, after all." Roy said with a nod.

"But he's an officer."

"No." Came the gentle correction. "Tonight he is Santa. There are no hierarchies in Christmas. Just giving." Roy's smile was soft. "Speaking of which, do you need anything, Edward?"

The boy looked around the room and he looked up at Roy. And he smiled. "Nah. I've got what I need right now."


End file.
